I think a big reason many girls shy away from calling themselves feminists is that they’re worried they won’t be able to live up to this idea of a Strong Woman, and that there’s no room in this club for anyone who isn’t 100% comfortable with herself all the time. You can totally be a feminist who has insecurities. Feminism isn’t about pretending we all feel like Wonder Woman, it’s about being honest when we don’t, and having the conversation on why that is.
—
How to Not Care What Other People Think of You -Rookie Magazine.
(via nowaddthefrosting)
I admit that I hadn’t actually (consciously) considered that. Thoughts? I know that I personally feel like a feminist-fail when things like street harassment or a male “friend” making me out as our groups’ token feminist are able to get to me. And then I have to logically remind myself that feminist BAMF =/= strong all the time. And simultaneously, that when rape culture, misogyny and sexism gets you down, that =/= not strong, that just means you’re aware, and you’re noticing things being bad.
(via youdontlooklikeafeminist)
Personally, I’ve never met a woman who refuses to call herself feminist because she doesn’t feel “strong enough”. I’ve only met women who buy into sexist ideas about feminists and therefore refuse to identify as one. But I completely stand with the commentary on this one… ^^^ YUP.
(via larosson)
I align myself with many feminist ideas and views so much but I don’t identify as a feminist because I don’t feel comfortable attaching that sort of label to the whole of me when there’s still tons of racism/trans* hate/sex work hate/BDSM hate/general in-hate going on within feminism that I absolutely don’t identify with. That’s not because i’ve bought into sexist ideas of feminism, or because i’m secretly anti-feminism, but it’s because I identify with bits of many different political/social groups and I doubt i’d ever identify with just one because every movement out there has serious issues. Just in the same way I like bits of anarchism and socialism too, but I don’t identify as an anarchist or a socialist. I think when people who like feminism don’t want to identify as such specifically because they don’t think they’re strong enough to be called one, that’s when you can stop a problem in feminism because it is portraying a visual of what the ideal feminist is and does - and anything less means you’re “not quite there yet”. When in reality… fuck that because you can support women whilst being calm or nervous about being verbally defensive in the face of oppression. Another problem within feminism is when people are too busy focusing on “well if you support women’s rights you have to identify as a feminist because you are one and if you don’t call yourself a feminist then you’re anti-women’s rights” insteading of drawing their attention to things like reproductive rights, gender discussions, consent issues, trans* issues, law changes for crisis centres etc.
(via dailymurf)
^ basically, same here.
(via inherhipstheresrevolutions
Some of the commentary is such a load of shit. Eye rolls all around.
